


Mussed Brown Hair

by CrypticGabriel



Category: Curse of Strahd - Fandom, Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Execution, First Kiss, Forbidden Love, Gaslighting, Grief/Mourning, Heavy Angst, Human/Vampire Relationship, M/M, Manipulation, Minor Character Death, One-Sided Relationship, Tragic Romance, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:54:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25492663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrypticGabriel/pseuds/CrypticGabriel
Summary: Escher never thought he'd experience true love like he did with Elya. His Evening Groom, however, took great exception to him wandering off into the arms of another man.
Relationships: Escher (Curse of Strahd)/Original D&D Character(s), Escher (Curse of Strahd)/Strahd von Zarovich
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	Mussed Brown Hair

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AdamTheApprentice](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdamTheApprentice/gifts).



> I wrote this fic on a whim during Adam's campaign session last night at like, 3 am. The only warning I gave him was a few questions I'd asked him, and I went to work like the feral child I was.  
> For further context, this is a poem that Adam wrote for his Escher talking about these very events that inspired me to write this out!  
> https://strahd-von-asthmavich.tumblr.com/post/624049966211596288/a-vampires-poem

_In seclusion, in private, Escher felt_ free. He felt free with a man with mussed brown hair and the warmest smile that he’d ever seen. Elya took that cage of his and tore it open, letting him fly away for a little while.

It was the feeling he got when only in the presence of Elya. He knew of Escher’s chilled skin but didn’t flinch. He knew of his nature but didn’t flee. He knew of what he was dealing with, but not once did he falter. That was why Escher loved him so much.

In their sacred place, undetected, Escher loved smiling with Elya and exchanging tales. Every moment together was full of bliss.

When exchanging their first kiss, Escher was afraid. There was a part of him that still feared Elya would reject him and run away, but he didn’t move. If anything, he enjoyed it, hands stroking his light curls. Escher smiled against his lips while holding onto him, eyes fluttering closed.

“Escher…” Elya pressed his forehead to his. Some of his dark hair feel to his face. “Come with me.”

The flustered vampire held onto the sweet mortal tighter. _Oh,_ how he longed to run away with him. He wanted to experience the true love that he lacked with the Lord of Darkness. He started shaking his head, however. “I don’t think I can, Elya. It’s too dangerous.”

“Nothing is too dangerous when it comes to you.” Elya gave him another kiss. “I love you, Escher. I can help you. I want you to be free from… you know who.”

“Elya, I’m afraid,” he pleaded. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Elya shook his head, taking his hand. He brought it up to his lips and kissed it. “Don’t worry, my love. I’m going to help you. I promise.”

Escher relented with a soft smile, leaning up to kiss him again. “Take me away from here, then. Elya…”

\--

_It was raining. Escher was resting_ silently in the lounge, blissfully staring at the words written on the page. He didn’t often think of his writing as a fabulous work of art, but he found the words he wrote of his dearest Elya to be purely wonderful.

He felt eyes on him while he was preoccupied, but as soon as the feeling was there, he flinched while glancing up. He started to crumple the paper in his palm to hide it. Volenta was looking at him, leaning against the door.

“Well. You’re awfully calm, little canary.”

Escher started to roll his eyes, knowing that she’d just seen him react to her presence. “What do you want? You don’t normally come up here.”

“I came up here to warn you.” She grinned a bit. “Strahd’s unhappy, you know.”

“What do you mean?” He feigned innocence. After all, he didn’t have anything to worry about. He didn’t mention his name at all whenever he traveled outside of Ravenloft. No one around him ever said his name, either. He couldn’t have possibly been listening in on him. “I have nothing to hide.”

“Oh, you don’t?” She crossed her arms. “Then why, at the drawbridge, is there a new decoration at the front?”

“…Decoration?”

“He could’ve been a little less grotesque with the modifications, but honestly, it was a nice touch.” She started to laugh meanly. “He did some great work on him. I think you would agree.”

“On…” Escher looked to the window behind him.

He could just barely see the bridge from here, but there was a new addition that looked like a pole, just on the outskirts. It was too hard to see. And then he realized…

_“…great work on him.”_

“…Oh no!”

He shot up, running past Volenta even when she called to him. He stopped for nothing, racing through the halls and stairs to find the quickest route he knew of from memory. He could feel himself start to panic.

How did he know? How the _fuck_ did he know?!

Outside, he was met with the pouring rain, but he continued to sprint, even as the slickness of the ground tried to hinder him. He’d tripped a couple times, but he was nonetheless undeterred. He needed to see. He needed to confirm for himself.

_Please._ Please, _don’t let it be him!_ Escher had been so careful!

The drawbridge was growing closer, and he faltered, feet skidding. Now he could see the “pole” he saw from up in the lounge. If his heart was still beating, it would stop when he saw what indeed was placed on this stake—a body. And from Escher’s perspective, he saw the back of a man with mussed brown hair, now caked with blood.

_“Elya!”_

He screamed, voice raw as he rushed to him. He was aghast at seeing the front of Elya’s body. His face was frozen on a scream… or at least, what was left of his face. Deep gashes and scratches masked his previous beauty. _Oh,_ he was in _pain._ He must’ve felt _so_ much pain!

“Elya…” His lip quivered. “N-no.” He held the sides of his head, cringing at the blood coming up from his scalp. And he damned himself as his fangs started to bare at the scent of him. “No!” he turned away, flinching his hands back.

There was more blood coming up on the back of his hand after he’d wiped at his face. It was from his tears.

Elya’s last moments must’ve been horrifying. All Escher could feel was pure grief. As he felt a sob bubbling in his chest, he tried to take hold of the corpse, trying to wrench him free from the stake he was impaled on.

“Do _not._ Touch. It.”

Every word felt like a stab in his back. Escher flinched and looked behind. Standing before him was his groom, glaring at him with a look of pure death. Strahd stepped ever closer, inch by inch.

“Strahd… Please, take him down,” Escher whimpered. “He was innocent. I’m to blame! P-please, let me bury him!”

“Let this be a lesson to you,” he seethed, “never take advantage of what I gave you. You should be grateful, for an eternity with me. Few people can say they have that luxury. Do you not appreciate the gift I have given you, dear Escher?”

Escher didn’t bother to wipe his tears now. He held the shoulder of the body… his dearest Elya. “I do. Just please. Let me bury him.”

Strahd looked him over. “If you want to continue experiencing the gift I gave you, you will leave it alone.”

Escher’s hand faltered, and he started to move back. Right in front of the Dark Lord, he started to cry. He knew that showing his groom any sign of weakness was a horrible idea, but he was too torn to stay stoic. He was too weak to be brave.

Strahd then took both his hands, pulling him closer. He wrapped his arms around him, but all Escher felt was fear.

“Oh, Escher,” he crooned, “you know I only do these things for your own good. He was going to die eventually. I just had it done a little faster. It is better this way. Do you really want to live your life with a mortal?”

He said nothing.

“You should be more faithful to me from now on, after all I have done for you.” Strahd’s nails started to dig into Escher’s arms through his clothes, piercing his skin meanly. “Do not think for a second that I would never find out whenever you go astray.”

Escher winced, and he refused to look back at Elya now. No. He was no longer Elya now. He was just a corpse; a decoration, like he was.

“I… I will never disobey you again, Strahd.”

“Very good.” Strahd chuckled and then backed away. “Now, run along. And remember what I told you.”

“Yes. My Lord.” Grief-stricken, he slowly backed away. As he crossed the drawbridge and tried his best to quell his sobs on the way home, he just wished that the bridge would open up and swallow him whole.

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me one twitter: @cryptic_gabriel (18+ only please!)  
> Mine and Adam's Curse of Strahd blog: strahd-von-asthmavich.tumblr.com


End file.
